The idea was the brainchild of one of the town’s residents, who wanted to do something with an old water tower, which measures about 20 feet in diameter.

Muscotah has roots in the national pastime. It’s the hometown of Joe Tinker, who played in the famous Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance infield when the Chicago Cubs last won the World Series in 1908.

Like a diehard Cubs fan who remains eternally optimistic, the town is getting behind the idea, with 50 people turning out last weekend to help with the project.

In addition to turning the tower into a ball, volunteers plan to make it a museum honoring Tinker, as well as Muscotah.

One organizer said, “This town has a lot of hometown pride and rich heritage and maybe it’s a little down on its luck right now. But to have all these people come in and give them all this attention means a lot to them.”

And if all goes well, the town plans to go for history by alerting Guinness in the hopes of earning the title of world’s biggest baseball.